1. Chapter 1 Fundamentals

   1. Why Build a PC?

   2. Designing the Perfect PC

   3. Things to Know and Do Before You Start

   4. Things You Need to Have

   5. Getting to Know Your Motherboard

   6. Troubleshooting

2. Chapter 2 Choosing and Buying Components

   1. Choosing Components

   2. Buying Components

   3. Final Words

3. Chapter 3 Building a Mainstream PC

   1. Determining Functional Requirements

   2. Hardware Design Criteria

   3. Component Considerations

   4. Building the System

   5. Final Words

4. Chapter 4 Building a SOHO Server

   1. Determining Functional Requirements

   2. Hardware Design Criteria

   3. Component Considerations

   4. Building the System

   5. Final Words

5. Chapter 5 Building a Kick-Ass LAN Party PC

   1. Determining Functional Requirements

   2. Hardware Design Criteria

   3. Component Considerations

   4. Building the System

   5. Final Words

6. Chapter 6 Building a Home Theater PC

   1. Determining Functional Requirements

   2. Hardware Design Criteria

   3. Choosing Software

   4. Component Considerations

   5. Building the System

   6. Final Words

7. Chapter 7 Building a Small Form Factor PC

   1. Determining Functional Requirements

   2. Hardware Design Criteria

   3. Component Considerations

   4. Building the System

   5. Final Words

1. Colophon

Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. Emily Quill was the production editor and copyeditor for Building the Perfect PC. Nancy Reinhardt was the proofreader. David Futato and Melanie Wang did the typesetting and page makeup, with assistance from Emily Quill. Colleen Gorman, Matt Hutchinson, and Claire Cloutier provided quality control. Julie Hawks wrote the index.

Ellie Volckhausen designed the cover of this book using Photoshop 5.5 and QuarkXPress 4.1. The cover image is a photograph by David Reavis. Emma Colby produced the cover layout with QuarkXPress 4.1 using Adobe's Formata Condensed font.

David Futato and Melanie Wang designed the interior layout using InDesign CS, based on a series design by David Futato. This book was converted from Microsoft Word to InDesign CS by Julie Hawks and Joe Wizda. The text and heading fonts are Linotype Birka and Adobe Formata Condensed, and the code font is TheSans Mono Condensed from LucasFont. The illustrations and screenshots that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia Freehand MX and Adobe Photoshop 7.